1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a belt molding structure for motor vehicles, particularly to an improved structure of an end of the belt molding at which an end cap is fixed.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 9 through 11 show an example of conventional window belt molding (window waist molding) which is fixed to a motor vehicle door. As shown in FIG. 9, a front side door 50 and a rear side door 51 are provided along lower window edges thereof with a window belt molding 52 and a window belt molding 53, respectively. FIG. 10 shows a cross sectional view of each of these window belt moldings 52 and 53. An outer door panel of each side door 50 and 51 has a flange portion (hemmed edge, upper edge) 55 along the lower window edge of the door, and a molding body 56 of each window belt molding 52 and 53 has a C-shaped cross section (a cross section of a channel) surrounding the flange portion 55. An end cap 60 is fitted into an end of the molding body 56 for the purpose of enhancing the appearance of the end of the molding body 56 and covering sharp edges of the end of the molding body for safety. Two weather strips 57, both of which come in contact with an outer surface of a car window (window glass) are formed integral with the molding body 56 to project toward the car window from an inner wall portion (portion facing the interior side of the vehicle) 56a of the molding body 56, while a resiliently-deformable anti-vibration lip 58 is formed integral with the molding body 56 to project from an inner surface of a decorative wall portion 56b positioned outside the vehicle. The anti-vibration lip 58 is in pressing contact with the flange portion 55 to prevent the molding body 56 from leaning (slanting) toward the interior side of the vehicle (leftward as viewed in FIG. 10). This type of molding body including such an anti-vibration lip is disclosed in Japanese utility model patent No. 2591409.
The anti-vibration lip 58 is provided at the same position as the end cap 60 in the direction of insertion of the end cap 60 into a corresponding end of the molding body 56. Therefore, at the corresponding end of the molding body 56, an associated end (end portion A′ to be removed) of the anti-vibration lip 58 is removed to correspond to a length A of an insertion portion 60a of the end cap 60 as shown in FIG. 11 to prevent the end cap 60 and the anti-vibration lip 58 from interfering with each other. However, cutting out such a part of the anti-vibration lip 58 from the molding body 56 is troublesome and time-consuming.
It is conceivable to reduce the amount of projection of the anti-vibration lip 58 in order to prevent the end cap 60 and the anti-vibration lip 58 from interfering with each other. However, if the amount of projection of the anti-vibration lip 58 is reduced, the original function of the anti-vibration lip 58, which is to support the window belt molding with stability, may deteriorate. It is also conceivable to provide the end cap 60 with a clearance recess for the anti-vibration lip 58 by cutting out the entire portion of the insertion portion 60a in the direction of insertion of the end cap 60 which would otherwise interfere with the anti-vibration lip 58. However, if the end cap 60 is provided with such a clearance recess, the wall thickness of the whole insertion portion 60a of the end cap 60 becomes small to thereby make it difficult to ensure sufficient strength of the end cap 60, or the insertion portion 60a may increase in size by an amount corresponding to the amount of formation of the clearance recess, which may deteriorate the appearance of the window belt molding.